Editor:
RE: Watermark and Marina
Sir, I see the battle for the right to install a marina and fuel dock on the lake beside the sailing club is warming up.
In Florida where I have spent much time on the waterways the laws are very strict.
If you’re refuelling your boat and spill fuel in the water, you are in serious trouble with the law.
The marina operator is required to report you to the EPA.
They take a very dim view and you can be fined and the marina operator may also be fined for allowing your negligence.
Because of the strict regulations, marina operators never fuel your boat.
You must do it and face the liabilities from careless handling of fuel.
The result is thousands of large boats pumping thousands of gallons of fuel everyday and not a trace of a fuel sheen on the water around a fuel dock.
I don’t think Osoyoos will have that level of enforcement and spills will occur on a regular basis.
It won’t take long to see a large fuel sheen on the water which is dangerous to wildlife.
Next, the marina location on what is laughingly called “Lions Bay.”
The idea of putting in 134 slips in the lagoon and lake is absurd.
Some quite good yacht clubs have less than 134 slips.
As a serious big boat sailor for 40 years I can see major problems with slips placed on both sides of the lagoon and a busy weekend at the launch ramp.
The available space to maneuver in the lagoon once your boat is off the trailer will be very limited.
Personally I would not take a slip in such a high traffic area.
It’s been my experience that many times these commercial choices are made by people that don’t know a mast from a propeller.
BUT most important, the Lake Osoyoos Sailing Club operates a Canadian Yachting Association certified sailing school next to the site.
The school caters primarily to children and some adults who typically know nothing about sailing or boats.
Usually when they begin lessons they have no skills and just controlling the boat is a problem.
How can any responsible adult in a position of authority subject these children to the whims of 134 power boaters who over the years have demonstrated a near total lack of understanding about sail boats and their legal responsibility.
Power boat operator certificates will help but small kids learning to sail will definitely be at risk from the yahoos that inhabit the lake during the summer months.
One bad accident involving a child could put the marina owner and operators in major legal jeopardy for negligence regarding the school.
The common sense answer, but one which the Town doesn’t like, is to put docks in front of the hotel.
David Eastbury,
Past Commodore and former member, Lake Osoyoos Sailing Club

OSOYOOS TIMES-June 23, 2010

IT’S TESTALINDA

Editor:
What is with this Testalinden malarkey?
It’s TESTALINDA!
We realize the large papers called it Testalinden, but were horrified to see the local papers follow unquestioningly.
As locals you should have known better.
Pull you heads out of the clouds, give them a shake and then hang them in shame.
Would you accept Osoyoosh or Oliveer?
Our parents (one of whom went to school in Testalinda, the others who were avid historians) and our grandparents were turning in their graves.
We had to write this!
If you hear someone saying Testalinden, correct them please.
We do not want to lose a name just because a careless or power hungry bureaucrat decided to list it in the official gazette of names incorrectly.
It was a surprise to learn this and we don’t know when it happened; we hope it can be corrected (Historical Society?)
To the locals and historians, it’s always been Testalinda - let’s keep it that way.
George and Ellen Fraser,
Osoyoos

OSOYOOS TIMES-June 23, 2010